


Sometimes the worst part is not knowing.

by LadyAnneNeville



Series: Tony learns how to Parent Peter [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Panic Attacks, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Precious Peter Parker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-05-05 20:49:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14626761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyAnneNeville/pseuds/LadyAnneNeville
Summary: After an incident occurs, Peter for once is powerless to do anything but wait to find out if his loved ones are safe.





	Sometimes the worst part is not knowing.

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of my alternate universe series but it can easily be read as a stand alone. In this series Tony has adopted Peter, partly for legal reasons so Peter can more easily be Tony's heir, but he essentially shares custody with May. Peter lives with May most of the time but has an occasional night or weekend with Tony.

Happy Hogan was sure he had never been in a situation this stressful his entire life, and as he had been body guard, friend and personal trainer to the man who had first been the most successful weapons dealer, and then the twenty-first century’s first super hero he had been in some incredibly stressful situations in his time. But this. This was above and beyond.

The thing is, there had been no warning signs, none at all, leading up to today it had been a fairly normal week, with the exception of the kid staying at the tower. Peter, who Happy had learned to like and get on with far better since Tony adopted him, was curled up on the couch almost catatonic, face still wet from tears from the fit he had thrown when Tony told him he couldn’t go. A decision Happy privately agreed with, but he knew far better than to voice that opinion to Peter, especially Peter right now. The kid was a mess, terrified, exhausted, devastated, and after the loss of so many parental figures he was sure that part of Peter was already grieving, already resigned to the worst case scenario becoming reality.

Since Tony had adopted Peter, May had started spending more time out of the city, she worked in publishing and sometimes it was helpful for her to travel to speak to other branches of the company, or their more difficult authors, something she had used to do before her husband Ben died, but had stopped completely when she had been left with Peter on her own.

Now Tony was rising firmly to meet the challenge to become a father figure for Peter, she had started going again, not often, a night here or there once every couple of months. This was the first time that she had been gone for more than a single night. Her company had asked her to fly out to Chicago and spend some time there overlooking the start of their new office, as well as checking in with a couple of authors about editing deadlines and plans. She had been in two minds whether to accept it or pass it off on someone else, but she was in line for a promotion and it was a good opportunity. She decided to discuss it with Tony, with Pepper there for support and also as a woman who knew how hard it could be in a corporate culture.

“Of course you should go.” Pepper said. “Most of the time you will be away he’ll be at school and I can get to know him better. Besides, I’ll be in New York not Miami that week and can make sure Tony doesn’t let him mess around in the workshop past his bedtime.”

And that had been that. May had packed her bags, kissed Peter goodbye, and thanked Happy profusely for the lift to the airport, part of her already counting down the hours to Saturday midday when she would see her kid away. 

The week had gone well; actually living in the tower had meant Peter spent more time in the workshop and less patrolling, which made everyone more comfortable. He texted with May a lot and called her every evening. This wasn’t quite as typical teenage behaviour but given Peter’s appalling luck with losing parental figures, the anxiety was understandable. And the presence of a teenager in the penthouse meant that Tony and Pepper ate a family dinner together every night, joined on two occasions by Happy and one by Rhodey. It was pleasant, and domestic and Tony had blossomed in it. 

But then on Saturday it had all gone wrong, Peter had been patrolling the night before, and then as it wasn’t a school night he had been allowed to join Tony in the workshop way past his curfew, and so the fifteen year old hadn’t got to bed until nearly four am. Pepper had not been pleased, but she let it slide and so Peter had slept in the next morning.

He had joined Tony and Pepper for brunch at around ten, the adults freshly showered from a morning run, the teenager, still ruffled and in pyjamas, only to receive a call from May, letting him know that her plane had been delayed, and she probably wouldn’t even take off until one. 

“Ok, see you later. Love you, bye.” Peter had said into the phone, not worried, not suspecting a thing. 

Then Pepper had to pop into the office, and Tony needed to do some paperwork he had been neglecting on the premise that he was “looking after Peter”. A very shaky excuse given that Peter was nearly sixteen, very responsible and well behaved for his age, and a super hero to boot so really needed next to no looking after.

So Peter had for once spent a very average Saturday morning, chilling on the sofa and scrolling through social media while cartoons played in the background. So it was that Peter was the first to find out, and he was alone at the time.

Tony had been in his office, focussed on getting up to date with his paperwork, as much as he avoided it, he could be a responsible adult when he wanted to, and more often than not behaved as one now, only to find Peter, running through the door of his office, in floods of tears, babbling about how he needed to get to Chicago Airport, right now.

There had been an incident, whether it was a mechanical issue or aliens or just plain old, home-grown terrorism was unknown, casualty numbers were unknown. All that was known was the incident and the location and that was enough to send Peter into a panic. A plane had failed to land properly at Chicago Airport, and had crashed right into the terminal where May was waiting for her flight. 

May wasn’t answering her phone.

Peter was a mess, desperate, terrified, and in absolutely no shape to go to Chicago right now. What’s more, if something had happened to May, Tony certainly didn’t want Peter to see her like that.

“She’s probably fine, with the short news cycle these things usually sound worse than they are before they get all the facts.” Had no effect.

“You’re not even sure she was in that terminal.” Had no effect, as it turns out, after their earlier conversation, Peter had checked the details on her now delayed flight as he was worried and did know that she was in that terminal.

In the end Tony had put his foot down as Peter’s adopted father and just said no, pointing out that the longer he was here arguing with Peter, the further delayed he would be before he got to Chicago to look for May.

That was how Happy ended up giving up his Saturday to babysit a terrified grief-stricken teen, who had had his phone confiscated so he couldn’t follow the situation online, who was now in a messy, tearstreaked heap on the couch.

Tony had left an hour ago.

They had heard nothing. Happy probably could have heard something, but he didn’t want to accidentally give something away if that something turned out to be bad news, if there was another attack or something like that.

Then the television flickered on to show, Tony, in his iron man suit, sans helmet.

“Peter.” Tony called, the teen immediately sat up and stared at the screen. “I’ve got someone here to see you.” Tony swung the camera around to show a slightly dirty Aunt May, with a small cut on her temple covered in a butterfly bandage, ironically the cleanest part of her face.

“Peter baby, I’m sorry” Was all she got out before Peter burst into tears, full on wracked, terrible, painful sounding sobs. All the adults there were surprised. Peter was not one for public displays of emotion, especially not negative emotion, and this degree of hysteria was unheard of.

“I-I-I thought…” Peter tried but couldn’t get the breath to finish the sentence. “Y-y-your ph-phone…” He tried again, but still couldn’t get the words out. Happy rushed over to sit next to the hyperventilating teen and started to rub him roughly on his back.

“Breathe kid.” He murmured quietly, trying to calm Peter down, it wasn’t working very well.

 

“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. I’m not hurt, not at all, Tony had FRIDAY scan me to make sure, but I was knocked over when it first happened by people running, and I’m fine, I got up quickly, but my phone was so trampled it’s not really reparable, so I couldn’t call and let you know I was okay. I never meant to make you worry, not at all, not like this.”

Peter’s breathing still wasn’t slowing, his eyes wide open, staring at the image of Tony and May, of his parents, like it was a lifeline.

“Peter, bud. You need to listen to Happy, you need to try and calm down. May’s okay, she’s safe, and she’s going to stay that way, but if you keep hyperventilating you’ll pass out.” Peter nodded and tried to focus and slow his breathing. It was a lot harder than it should be.

“Okay Peter.” Tony was saying. “I’m putting May in my Iron Man suit and FRIDAY’s going to fly her to the tower, she’ll be with you in ten minutes. You’re job is to calm down enough to be able to speak when she arrives. Ten minutes, that’s all it’s going to be, just ten minutes.”

“You…?” Peter managed.

“I’m staying on the scene to help coordinate the clean up and the Stark Relief Foundation is here to help out. The danger’s passed though and my helicopter is on the way with another suit so I can get back quickly once I’m done here. I’ll be home for dinner tonight though, I promise, you’re more important than anything I’m doing here.” Tony explained, keeping his tone calm and soothing, despite the disquiet he felt seeing Peter so upset.

Peter nodded and the call ended.

Dinner that night was a subdued affair, but the evening ended with both Peter and May staying an extra night at the compound, and Peter snuggled under a blanket between May and Tony watching a movie, needing the physical security of both his guardians right there. And if he ended up sleeping in May’s room that night, like he had as a kid? Well that never needed to be mentioned. After the fright Peter had experienced FRIDAY relegated that footage to a seldom used server, only to be called on if truly needed.


End file.
